Multiple terminal mounting device



Aug. 3, 1965 c. J. NEENAN MULTIPLE TERMINAL MOUNTING DEVICE 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 12. 1961 INVENTOR. CHARLES J. N EENAN ATTORNEYAug. 3, 1965 c. J. NEENAN MULTIPLE TERMINAL MOUNTING DEVICE 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 12. 1961 FIG. 3

b b i a M 3 H 2 7 4 4 W ////C A %///E 2 w/ .i a 2 i k r4 INVENTOR.CHARLES J. NEENAN ATTORNEY Aug. 3, 1965 c. J. NEENAN MULTIPLE TERMINALMOUNTING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 12. 1961 FIG. 5

INVENTOR. CHARLES J. N EE NAN ATTORN EY 1965 c. J. NEENAN 3,199,068

MULTIPLE TERMINAL MOUNTING DEVICE Filed Dec. 12. 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

INVENTOR. CHARLES J. NEENAN BY (I ATTORNEY United States Patent FiledThis invention relates to a modular, plug-in device for multipleassemblies such as are used for data processing, signal controls, telenetry, guidance systems, communications and television systems. in suchinstallations it is often necessary to make thousands of connections inlimited amounts of space. Devices heretofore proposed for the purpose,are cumbersome, require a large amount of space, are expensive, costlyto wire, and the electrical con i ections thereby made are often foundto be not reliableparticularly if left plugged in for protracted periodsof time. Circuit trouble-shooting and wire changing with suchinstallations were diflicult to make and expensive.

The devices of the present invention fulfill the above noted specialrequirements of this art, enabling much greater terimnal concentrationand making it practical to space the terminals closer together therein.The terminals are then readily accessible for quality controlinspection, trouble shooting and wiring changes. Each wire may beplugged in or unplugged individually; thus maintenance costs areminimized and it is practicable to pretest groups of consoles and rackassemblies in the shop before they are installed on the job. esting maymore conveniently, readily, and accurately be supervised by designpersonnel; cost of field engineering is greatly reduced.

The device incorporates novel structural features enabling connectorblock units thereof to be pivoted for facility of connection on eitherside of the terminal board for installation and maintenance purposes.The housing design of terminal assembly permits a heavy concentration ofaccessible connections which is particularly im portant in this art inminiaturization of equipment, greatly increasing the number ofconnections required per rack.

The device of the present invention enables the heavy concentration ofplug-in connections to be made in limited spaces; wired harnesses may befabricated independently and readily secured to or removed from thedevice as complete assemblies.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following detailed description.

in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andwherein similar reference characters gnate corresponding partsthroughout the several views,

1 is a perspective view, partly exploded, of a multiple terminalmounting device embodying the invention,

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of said device taken at line 22 ofFIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a partly fragmentary elevational view of a mounting deviceembodying the invention, on supporting rails,

PEG. 4 is a fragmentary, top plan, view of a plurality of said devices,shown in various mounting positions on a supporting rail,

PEG. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional view of the connector board ofdevice, showing slots provided therein and a connector elementpositioned in one of said slots and extending from opposite faces ofsaid board for connection of terminals therewith,

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a mounting device embodying theinvention, provided with a pair of cable positioning plates, shown aparttherefrom,

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a connector secured to aterminal of a specific type, and FIG. 8 is a bee similar view showing acable of another type secured thereto,

F IG. 9 is a further form of connector, and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a mounting device of the inventionshown with a plurality of terminals secured thereto.

As shown in the drawings, the mounting device 11 of this invention (FIG.10) comprises a connector board 12 having a plurality of slots 13 (FIG.5) formed therein preferably in alinged vertical and transverse rowrelation. Connector elements 14 (FIGS. 5 and 10) are positioned in saidslots and extend from opposite faces 15, 16 (FIG. 6) thereof forconnection of terminals or cables 17 with said connectors at saidopposite faces of board. The cables may be television coaxial cables orother conductors or cables, provided at their ends with terminals 18(FIGS. 7-10) complementary to the connector elements 14. Thus the lattermay be formed flat and the terminals 13 may be of channeled,complementary configuration as shown at 19 in FIG. 7 for complementaryaxial sliding interengagement; other configurations may be used.

The opposite ends of the terminal 18 may be provided with connectorportions 20 for engagement of other terminals therewith so that aparticular cable 17 secured may be secured to a particular connectorelement 14 desired and another cable may be secured to the same terminal13. The cables are preferably connected to the terminals 18 medially soas to depend directly downwardly therefrom (FIG. 10) to further conservespace and reduce exposure of the cables. To that end the medial portions29 (FIG. 7) of the terminals may be formed (PEG. 9) open for receptionof the conductors therein and (FIG. 7) closed thereover to secure thesame thereto directly. The terminals 18, 14 may have their outer ends oftubular form (FIG. 7) or of channeled configuration (Zfia, FIG. 9) or offlat or other outline for engagement with complamentarily formedconductors or terminals.

The connector board may be provided along the top thereof withhorizontal and vertical indicia markings 21, 22 (FIGS. 6 and 10),identifying particular rows of connector elements 1 3 and is adapted tobe secured to a mounting rail 23 (FIG. 3) or to a pair of such railsthrough the brackets 24 secured to the ends of the connector boarddirectly or through end plates 25. The later, in turn, are secured to ormounted in close relation to the ends of the connector board 12 as by amounting rod 26 (FIG. 3) passing through said end plates 25 and rivetedthereover (FIG. 3). An elongated bar 27 which may be flat (PEG. 3),round (FIG. 10) or of any other desired cross section, likewisepreferably passes through the end plates 25 at the top of the connectorboard and is riveted thereto for further rigidity of assembly. Thebrackets 24 may be secured to the end plates 25 as by riveting the samethereto 23 (FIG. 4) or by other means. Each bracket has a first plate orface 31 disposed (FIGS. 4, 10 and 6) at substantially right angles tothe plane 32 (PEG. 6) of the board 12 and adapted to be secured to therail (as shown for the center device in FIG. 4-) thus disposing theboard 12 at right angles to the rail. Suitable bolt or other securingmeans 33 (FIG. 3) may be used for the purpose. The bracket is providedwith a second planar face 34 (FIG. 4) disposed angularly relative to thefirst planar face toward the board 12, so that when said second planarface 34 is so secured to the rail 23 (as is the right hand device inFIG. 4) the board 12 will thus be disposed at an obtuse angle 35 to rail23 for facility of access to the board face 15 for connection ordisconnection of cables or other components therewith. The assembly of aplurality of conductors or cables passes through a cable positioningplate 36 (FIG. 10) and may be initially prepared and then readily thusbrought into juxtaposition relative to connector board 12 (3 for readyconnection with the desired connector elements 14. The brackets 24 maybe provided with third planar faces 37 (FIG. 4) which may be utilized todispose the board angularly relative to the first planar face 31 of thebracket (left hand unit of PEG. 4) so that the face 16 of the connectorboard 12 may be thus disposed for more convenient access. Similarbrackets may be secured to opposite ends of the board or plates thereof.As shown in FIG. 3, the device 1?. may be mounted on a pair of suchrails 23 and the latter, in turn, may be secured to the buildingstructure, or to vertical rails (FIG. 3). Cable positioning plate 36 maybe removably secured to the device, as, for example, by providing (FIG.10) extension tabs 3? (FIG. 6) on the endplatcs 25 to which said cablepositioning plate may be secured by bolt or other means If desired,(FIG. 6) plate 36 may be formed of two sections 36a, 365.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be madeto the form of invention herein shown and described, without departingfrom the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A multiple terminal mounting device comprising a connector boardhaving a plurality of slots formed thereconnector elements positioned insaid slots and extending from the board for connection of Wire terminalstherewith,

a supporting rail for said board,

a bracket fixed to an end of said board, said bracket having a firstplanar face disposed at substantially right angle to the plane of saidboard, and at least one additional planar face disposed at a differentangle relative to said first planar face,

means to secure said planar face portions of the bracket to the rail inparallel abutment therewith to thus dispose the board angularly of therail one of several positions.

2. In a multiple terminal mounting device as set forth in claim 1,

a second bracket fixed to the opposite end of said board, and

having corresponding planar faces for abutment with a rail.

3. In a mounting device as set forth in claim 1,

end plates engaging the ends of said connector board,

said bracket being secured to the end plate and thereby so secured tothe board.

4. In a mounting device as set forth in claim 1,

a cable-positioning plate secured to said device at the bottom of theconnector board and extending on each side thereof, and

provided with apertures for passage through.

5. in a mounting device as set forth in claim 4,

terminals formed complementarily to said connector elements, andremovably secured thereto, and means on said terminals mediate the endsthereof for attachment to said cables.

6. In a mounting device as set forth in claim 5,

said terminals being formed at their opposite ends with means forconnection thereto of additional cables.

7. in a mounting device as set forth in claim 5',

said connector elements and terminals eing of complementary flat andchanneled configuration.

S. A multiple terminal mounting device comprising a connector boardhaving opposite faces, and

a plurality of connector elements secured to said board and extendingfrom the opposite faces thereof for connection of cable terminalstherewith,

a supporting rail for said board,

brackets secured to the ends of the board,

each bracket having a first planar face disposed at substantially rightangles to the plane of the board and a second planar face at an angle tosaid first planar face and each face adapted to be selectively securedto the rail in parallel abutment therewith to thus dispose the board atone of two angles to the rail.

9. In a mounting device as set forth in claim 3,

a cable positioning plate secured to said device at the bottom of theconnector board, and

provided with apertures for passage of cables having terminals, to beconnected to the connector board, therethrough.

10. In a mounting device as set forth in claim 3,

indicia markings on said connector board in registration with connectorelements thereon to identify the of cables therelatter.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,278,307 3/42Eisler 339-32 2,452,494 10/48 Rithen 339 X 2,534,864 12/50 Fritts 339l982,857,583 10/58 Markley et al. 339113 X 3,050,706 8/62 Kitscha 339-256 X3,061,761 10/62 Blain 339l7 X 3,066,643 12/62 Flanagan 339183 X FOREIGNPATENTS 970,343 9/58 Germany.

ALBERT H. KAMPE, Primary Examiner.

ALFRED S. TRASK, JGSEPH D. SEERS, Examiners.

8. A MULTIPLE TERMINAL MOUNTING DEVICE COMPRISING A CONNECTOR BOARDHAVING OPPOSITE FACES, AND A PLURALITY OF CONNECTOR ELEMENTS SECURED TOSAID BOARD AND EXTENDING FROM THE OPPOSITE FACES THEREOF FOR CONNECTIONOF CABLE TERMINALS THEREWITH, A SUPPORTING RAIL FOR SAID BOARD, BRACKETSSECURED TO THE ENDS OF THE BOARD, EACH BRACKET HAVING A FIRST PLANR FACEDISPOSED AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES TO THE PLANE OF THE BOARD AND ASECOND PLANAR FACE AT AN ANGLE TO SAID FIRST PLANAR FACE AND EACH FACEADAPTED TO BE SELECTIVELY SECURED TO THE RAIL IN PARALLEL ABUTMENTTHEREWITH TO THUS DISPOSE THE BOARD AT ONE OF TWO ANGLES TO THE RAIL.